Re: Cartrophen and feline pancreatitis

Dexter Smith — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:03:36 GMT

Are you fairly sure the Cartrophen didn't cause the pancreatitis in the first place?

Re: Cartrophen and feline pancreatitis

Laurence Webb — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:45:26 GMT

You can read the technical brochure from Arthropharm here. Amongst the many vaired effects claimed it includes...

Inhibits and modulates pro-inflammatory mediators, bio-active amines such as: histamine, serotonin, superoxide free radical, enzymes such as elastase, hyaluronidase, cathepsins, TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE) and proteins of the complement system which are implicated in the degradation of cartilage matrix components;

(d) Mobilizes thrombi and fibrin deposits in synovial tissues and subchondral blood vessels, thus increasing the perfusion of the joint, with resulting improvement in nutrition;

(e) Mobilizes lipids and cholesterol in synovial and subchondral blood vessels;

(f) Strong anti-inflammatory properties which act at the cellular and humoral level;

(g) De-sensitisation of platelets aggregation and clotting;

(h) Increases the levels of natural inhibitors of metalloproteinases in cartilage;

(i) Stimulates plasma levels of tissue plasminogen activator and decreases plasminogen activator inhibitor, which improves clot dissolution;

(j)

Increases plasma lipase levels.

Plasma lipase and superoxide dismutase are described as free radical scavengers.

I guess that any effect could be put down to any of, or a combination of, immunomodulatory effects, free radical scavenging or even breakdown of microthrombi (in the pancreaas or elsewhere) as a 2ary effect of an inflamatory response and endothelial damage within the pancreas. This is all guess-work, or it could be just a co-incidence!

I've just changed the treatment regime for now, so I'm going to just observe for now but if we can't get control I may try it out again to see if there is a more definate link between adminstering the cartrophen and improvement in the symptoms.

Re: Cartrophen and feline pancreatitis

Martin Jones — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:01:02 GMT

Time to show my ignorance......

The NOAH compendium does list one of the properties of cartrophen as 'lipolytic', although it'd be a hard stretch to fit it to an effect on gross pancreatitis. Or am I missing something?

These things pop up all the time - people with more brains (and who attended more biochemistry lectures) than me have dogs with brain tumours on atopica, and pulmonary arterial hypertension patients on viagra.

Myself, I'm generally happy if they get better and try not to let it keep me awake at nights. I would be interested in this one, though - anything to improve management of feline pancs. Good one.

Martin